Caroline Richardson, Norwich Playhouse’s general manager, said: “The Playhouse is a very exciting place to be and we are immensely proud and happy to be able to offer such an exciting and varied new season.

“One show I’m particularly looking forward to is That Is All You Need To Know coming to us in September. The show’s a drama based round Bletchley Park and the work of the Second World War code -breakers who painstakingly worked there. It took the Edinburgh Fringe by storm and offers a fascinating account of what happened and why so many stayed silent after the war.”

Meanwhile, Norwich comedy legends The Nimmo Twins are also among the acts lined up for the summer season. Their show – Normal for Norfolk 12: Fritton’s Got Talent – runs from August 19 to 28.

Raising the curtain on the first laugh this season is West End star Brian Conley in his new comedy-music show on June 2 and the last gasp comes from German-born laughter-maker Henning Wehn on September 25 and 26.

Further into the future, Dave Gorman is returning in his new stand-up show from October 6 to 8.

Bob Golding also returns on May 28 and 29, playing comedy icon Eric Morecambe in Tim Whitnall’s Olivier award-winning play Morecambe.

Music highlights include jazz diva and Grammy-nominated singer Stacey Kent performing material from her latest album on June 6. The National Youth Jazz Orchestra will be performing everything from big band classics to specially-commissioned arrangements on June 28.

Norwich Playhouse Summer 2014: Abandoman

Irish comedy hip-hop improv group Abandoman takes to the stage on June 14.

Merry Opera’s production of Kiss Me Figaro on June 21 promises an evening of love, laughter and music from the last 400 years of opera, while Flanders and Swann: At the Drop of a Hippopotamus is on June 27.

For romance fans, Live Wire is performing Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow on July 18 and 19 while Mixed Voice presents Godspell from September 3 to 6.

A series of talks promoted by Writers’ Centre Norwich starts on June 17, with John Carey in conversation with DJ Taylor discussing his book, The Unexpected Professor.

JM Coetzee, the MAN Booker Prize-winning author of Life & Times of Michael K, will be on stage with Xiaolu Guo (A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers), Julia Franck (The Blind Side of the Heart) and Ivan Vladislavi (Double Negative) on June 19.

Tim Brooke-Taylor will come face-to-face with former That’s Life! co-presenter Chris Serle on June 20, while Scottish writer and artist Alasdair Gray will discuss Scottish independence and the arts while reading from his latest book, Independence on July 3.

Family shows include Dr Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat from July 26 to 27 and Blunderbuss Theatre’s Hugless Douglas on August 30 and 31 which tells the story of a young brown bear who wakes up one morning in need of a hug.

For more information visit www.norwichplayhouse.co.uk, call 01603 598598, or pick up a programme of events from the Playhouse, the box office at Norwich Theatre Royal and other venues around the city.

Do you have a story about the arts in Norwich? Email arts correspondent Emma Knights at emma.knights@archant.co.uk